Soil best for winter rye growth rate.

Problem Scenario

Broad question

Does the type of soil used in plant affect the growth rate?

Specific question

What type of soil causes the highest amount of plant growth in Winter Rye?

Hypothesis

It is hypothesized that silty soil causes most plant growth in Winter Rye.

Graph of Hypothesis

Variables

Independent Variable:

Type of soil

Dependent Variable:

plant growth rate

Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

Silty soil, mud, and clay soil.

Vocabulary List That Needs Explanation

Winter rye: A very easy to grow plant.

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General Plan

We will grow winter rye with three different types of soil and measure the growth rate for each plant. Based on the the type of soil, we will see which soil is best for growing winter rye.

Potential Problems And Solutions

Do not in any way consume any of the materials used in this experiment.

Safety Or Environmental Concerns

Consumption of the materials used in the experiment

Experimental Design

Controlled, manipulated experiment

Number Of Trials:

Six

Number Of Subjects In Each trial:

three

When data will be collected:

March 20th

Number of Observations:

Six

Where will data be collected?:

Notebook

Resources and Budget Table

Item	Where it will be obtained	Estimated Cost.
Plastic cups	Home	N/A
Winter Rye	Mr. Littlefield	N/A
mud	pond	N/A
clay soil	Wal-Mart	$6.00
silty soil	Wal-Mart	$6.00

Data Table

Day

Soil	Day 1	Day2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6
Clay soil
Silty soil
Mud

Time Line

Mar. 19, plant the seeds- collect data through Mar. 20 April. 4- Set up experiment April 5 through April 20.

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Background Research:

Winter Rye tolerates temps from -30F to 33F. Winter Rye is also very adaptable plant, with the ability to grow from soil such as some types of heavy clay and sand
Resources
"Winter Rye: A Reliable Cover Crop." The University of Vermont. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/winterrye.html>.

Detailed Procedure

I will fill three different cups with clay soil, silt soil, and mud. I will insert some winter rye seeds into each cup, and measure the tallest plant for six days. When the measuring is concluded, I will make a graph to see which cup of soil had the most growth rate.

Diagram

Photo List

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Results

All Raw Data

Graphs

Photos

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Data Analysis

During the trials, mud and clay soil were at each others necks the entire time, clay soil taking a slight lead. Silty soil, which I predicted would have the highest growth rate, actually didn't have a single sprout.

Conclusions

Quite the anomaly has occurred. The silt soil, which was predicted to cause the most growth rate, didn't have a single winter rye sprout in it! Clay soil caused the most growth rate, and mud came in second place.

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Discussion

Eureka! Alas we have answered the question we have longed to know the answer to. It is proven that Clay soil is he best for growing the plant winter rye. Silty soil, which I predicted would grow the most in winter rye, actually didn't have a single sprout! Mud was just about right in between, but didn't grow enough to be the leading soil for growing winter rye.

Benefit to Community and/or Science

We now know that clay soil is the best for growing winter rye. Perhaps This new found information may help anyone who needs to grow the plant winter rye for any reason, or if a company needs to grow this plant organically, they may consider using this cheap soil, rather than some very expensive soil.

Abstract

The question was, what soil is the best for growing winter rye. I hypothesized that silty soil would be the best for growing winter rye. Winter rye grows best in cold temperatures. Also, it is very adaptable to many types of soils. To perform this experiment, I filled three cups with silty soil, clay soil, and mud. I planted a few seeds into each cup, and for six days I will measure the largest sprout in each cup and and record it. I will make a graph, therefore seeing which soil causes the most growth rate in winter rye. The result were quite the anomaly. Silty soil didn't have a single sprout, and clay soil had the most sprouts! So it is proven that clay soil is the best for growing winter rye.